


ruins and memories

by FyreLily



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Based on a Twitter Thing, Flashbacks, Gen, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, Salem (mentioned) - Freeform, im sorry i know i said that i would write fluff, ozpin's memories, ruby has a breakdown that i wrote terribly, this is really short lol, this is rushed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27425458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FyreLily/pseuds/FyreLily
Summary: Ruby breaks down, Oscar finds a memory, and Oz wishes he could go back in time.---Yup, this is really short, and i suck a summaries. This is from a twitter conversation, and it's kind of rushed, so sorry about that! V8 comes out tomorrow! Yay!!
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Ruby Rose & Weiss Schnee & Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	ruins and memories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lastroseofrwby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastroseofrwby/gifts).



> woop woop

Well.

That, Oscar decides, did not go as planned. At all. Not a bit. Not the tiniest bit. 

_ Well,  _ the voice in his head reasons.  _ You asked her what was wrong. I don’t know what you were expecting. _

Okay, maybe that’s fair. ‘But I didn’t know this would happen!’ Oscar shoots back. ‘I thought maybe she’d say that she was tired or something.’

In the back of the farmhand’s head, Ozpin sighs. 

Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY, sister of Yang Xiao Long, daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and daughter of Summer Rose is currently collapsed on the floor, sobbing.

Yang rushes over to comfort her, just as she did when Salem appeared in a haze of smoke and fear. The huntress embraces her little sister as she sobs, patting her back and holding her tight. Their teammates are instantly beside them.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Ruby sobs. “It’s my fault that we’re in this situation. I should’ve done better. I’m so sorry.”

“This isn’t your fault!” Blake tells her fiercely.

“You couldn’t have planned for Salem, for any of this! It just happened,” Weiss adds.

Ruby grips Weiss’s arm, and Oscar can see how tightly she is clutching it. “But it is! I could’ve been better, I could’ve been more prepared. All these people are suffering, and Salem is after us! I’m the leader, I should’ve done better…”

Yang shakes her head, and only hugs Ruby tighter, telling her how blameless she is.

Oscar blinks. What Ruby is saying… it sounds familiar somehow.

_ Oscar?  _ The voice in his head questions. 

He shakes himself out. ‘I… I should help her, shouldn’t I? Is there something we can do?’

_ I think it’s best to let her team take care of her for now,  _ Ozpin replies. 

Oscar nods distractedly, and turns his attention back to what Ruby is saying.

“You don’t get it! I’m the leader, I’m in charge. I’m supposed to be better than this, I’m supposed to prevent things like this!”

Yang, Blake, and Weiss all try to cut in at the same time, but Ruby continues tearfully. 

“I have to be strong! I need to set a good example, that’s my job! I’m the leader! If I’m not always doing my best, then what about you guys?”

Oscar stumbles a little bit as he hears Yang’s confused response.

“What?”

The hazel-eyed boy leans against the wall, closing his eyes. He can hear Oz murmuring inside his head, he can hear Ruby bawling as her friends try to understand.

A memory surfaces in his mind and he reaches for it, not wanting to give up this chance. 

_ Oh, Oscar…. _

**Suddenly, he is taller, more confident, older and wiser. His surroundings are different now; instead of being in a small airship, he is in a large corridor. In front of him, stands…**

**Ruby Rose.**

**She is younger, shorter, more unsure. She doesn’t carry the same responsibility that Oscar knows she does in the present.**

**And… he is speaking.**

**“If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?”**

**The student in front of him looks unsure. The memory fades…**

and Oscar blinks. He turns to Ruby. It seems like barely a second has passed. The silver-eyed girl is still breaking down on the floor, her friends doing the best they can to comfort her. 

_ Oscar… I’m… I’m sorry. _

Oscar doesn’t respond; he is thinking, mulling over Ruby’s words from just a moment ago, and  ~~his~~ Oz’s words from all those years ago. Realization spreads through him.

“You. You did this to her.”

He feels the stares of Ruby and her team boring into him, and the regret that Oz is feeling mix with his own fury and frustration.

_ I was just trying to give advice, I- _

“You did this to her! You told her that and now she believes it, Oz. You told her that she had to be better, and now she thinks that she isn’t allowed to be weak, that she has to fix everything herself!”

Oz falls silent for a moment in the wake of Oscar’s anger.

“You ruin people, Oz.”

_ I… it wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. _

_ Nothing was.  _

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! tell me if i have any typos, and feedback is always appreciated!! [You can find me on twitter @ sapphicscarlett](https://twitter.com/sapphicscarlett) or my [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/sapphicscarlett)


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